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TRENTON
– Attorney General Anne Milgram and
Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni
announced that a member of the Nine Trey Headbustas
street gang pleaded guilty today to racketeering,
admitting that he killed for the gang, which
used acts of violence to control drug dealing
in the Broadway area of Camden.
According
to Director Gramiccioni, Nathaniel Clay, 31,
of Camden, pleaded guilty to first-degree
racketeering before Superior Court Judge Samuel
D. Natal in Camden County. Under the plea
agreement, the state will recommend that Clay
be sentenced to between 10 and 20 years in
state prison, the standard range for a first-degree
crime. Deputy Attorney General Jill S. Mayer
took the guilty plea for the Division of Criminal
Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau.
In
pleading guilty, Clay admitted that he committed
criminal acts, including acts of violence,
on behalf of the gang. He admitted, specifically,
that he fatally shot Michael Williams, 24,
on Aug. 20, 2007, in the 1000 block of Morton
Street under orders from one of the gang’s
top leaders, Juan Vargas. Williams was targeted
because he owed money to a gang member.
On
July 8, 2008, the Division of Criminal Justice
obtained an indictment charging Vargas, 25,
of Philadelphia, and the gang’s other
top leader, Michael Anderson, 36, who is in
New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, along
with 13 other gang members. Vargas and Anderson
were charged with being leaders of a narcotics
trafficking network, a crime that carries
a sentence of 25 years to life in prison,
as well as conspiracy to commit murder. Clay
was one of three alleged “street supervisors”
for the gang who were charged. They supervised
the gang members who were selling drugs. The
other two are Dionicio Adams, 27, and Hector
Archival, 21, both of Camden. Charges are
pending against Vargas, Anderson, Adams and
Archival.
“In
pleading guilty, this defendant admitted that
he was engaged in the business of this gang,
which was drugs, violence and murder,”
said Attorney General Milgram. “We will
continue to prosecute the leaders of this
gang to the full extent of the law.”
The
indictment resulted from a joint investigation
conducted by the New Jersey Division of Criminal
Justice and the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking
Area (HIDTA) Joint Camden Task Force. The
Nine Trey Headbustas set, which has direct
ties to Philadelphia, was dealing large quantities
of heroin on Broadway Avenue and Stevens and
Benson Streets in Camden.
Anderson
holds the title of “Original Original
Gangster” or “Godfather”
of this faction of the Bloods and allegedly
exercised leadership authority from prison.
Vargas allegedly was the hands-on leader of
the set’s drug operations.
“We
will continue to target the command structure
of gangs through cooperative, intelligence-led
investigations such as this one, which involved
all levels of law enforcement,” said
Director Gramiccioni. “We are committed
to doing all that we can to reduce gun violence
in Camden and other communities plagued by
gang activity.”
Vargas,
Adams and Clay were arrested on Nov. 29, 2007,
as a result of the investigation. Participating
agencies executed search warrants on that
date that resulted in the seizure of approximately
500 bags of heroin, about 3 pounds of marijuana,
approximately 2.5 ounces of crack cocaine,
two handguns and roughly $10,000 in cash.
A
full list of defendants and charges is posted
with the July 8, 2008 press release announcing
the indictment at www.njpublicsafety.com.
Attorney
General Milgram credited Sgt. Richard M. Carlin
and Deputy Attorneys General Jill S. Mayer
and Christopher St. John for coordinating
the investigation for the New Jersey Division
of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized
Crime Bureau. Deputy Attorney General Mayer
presented the case to the state grand jury.
Attorney General Milgram also credited the
following members of the HIDTA Joint Camden
Task Force for conducting and assisting the
investigation:
-
Camden County Prosecutor’s Office
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Camden City Police Department
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Camden County Sheriffs Department
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New Jersey State Police
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U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
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Federal Bureau of Investigation
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U.S. Marshals Service
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Municipal Task Force Alliance
-
National Guard
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